The Brent Spence Bridge should be a federal project.

We must maintain and rebuild our nation's aging highways and infrastructure. This will create jobs, and possibly save lives by averting another horrible bridge collapse like the one in Minneapolis that killed more than a dozen people and injured 145 others. We can and must invest in an emergency bridge repair project that will fix the thousands of decaying bridges that need attention across this nation, including the Brent Spence Bridge.

We must also modernize our sewer systems, our power transmission systems, invest in passenger and freight rail transportation systems, and jumpstart the alternative energy industry with an Apollo Project style investment. For example, if we commit to placing solar panels on even a third of government buildings, we would drive so much investment and innovation in the solar industry that it would soon become affordable for consumers (and we would save on our government electricity bills in the bargain.)

All of the above will cost money. We as a nation are now deep in debt, and unfortunately this debt did not go toward infrastructure or education for our children. Because of a "conservative" Republican President and his six years of Republican-controlled Congress, all of our shiny new debt went to pay for tax cuts for the richest 1%, and for a war we did not need that has made us less safe. We must cut government spending on entitlement programs and Cold War defense systems, control our deficit, and stop throwing away our money in Iraq. Then we will be able to afford the infrastructure investments we need.